Manufacture of cellulose derivatives



Patented July 15, 1924.

T a s HENRY DREYFUS, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

MANUFACTURE OF CELLULOSE DERIVATIVES.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may canoe m:

Be it known that I, HENRY DREYFUS, a citizen of the Swiss Republic, of London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements relating to the Manufacture of Cellulose Derivatives, of which the following is a specification.

. This invention relates to the manufacture of alkyl or aralkyl ethers of cellulose by etherification of cellulose or cellulose conversion products not soluble in alkali, hereinafter included in the term a cellulosic body not soluble in alkali.

In the specifications of my previous applications Serial No. 401381, S. No. 401383 and S. No. 401385 filed August 5, 1920, and in the corresponding British patent specifications Nos. 164374, 164375 and 164377 proc esses have been described for the manufacture of such cellulose ethers by treating cellulose or cellulose conversion products not soluble in alkali with etherifying agents in presence of alkali, and in these specificai 1 version products.

tions and more particularly in S. No. 40138 the best conditions are indicated for producing the ethers of cellulose,.from the point of view of qualityand yield, and in particular it was pointed out that restricted quantities of water, not exceeding four times the weight of the cellulose or conversion prodnot and preferably not exceeding from onecellulose or celluloseconversion product to v be etherified is first ground with a portion of the alkali,' preferably employed in powdered form, until a homogeneous mixture has taken place and the alkali has entered into combination to a greater or less extent with the cellulose or conversion product. The grinding is performed in admixture with organic liquids or diluents such for instance as benzol, as already mentioned Application filed September 12, 1921. Serial No. 500,159.

in the said previous specifications S. No. 401381, S. No. 401383 and S. No. 401385. By employing such liquids in grinding the cellulose with the alkali, one can avoid overheating of the cellulose, which is more liable to occur when the cellulose is ground alone with the alkali, in which latter case the heat whichfmay be locally generated by the grinding is much less readily dispersedor transmitted through the mass. the diluent or liquid likewise tends to prevent or reduce the oxidizing influence which the alkali is capable of exerting on the cellulose or cellulose conversion product. Cooling is preferably applied during the grindmg. I v I According to another form of execution, the cellulose or conversion product, suspended in the benzol or other diluent such as referred to, is passed through a Hollander, beating engine or equivalent machine, with or without cooling, and ground to a fine state, similarly to cellulose in paper making, in the liquid or diluent. which prevents or reduces liability to overheating byfriction. When the grinding is finished, the cellulose or conversion product is ground together with a portion of the alkali, preferably employed in powdered form, the, alkali being added gradually as the grinding proceeds, or though less advantageously, it may be added all together at the commencement. Before grinding with the alkali the ground cellu lose or conversion product may be separated from the benzolor other diluent, or the ground mixture of cellulose and diluent may be ground with the alkali, or a portion of the diluent may be removed, for example so that the quantity of diluent present or remaining is about equal to the quantity of diethyl sulphate or other etherifying agent employed for the etherification as mentioned in my said previous specifications.

The products obtained as hereinbefore referred to are submitted to the etherifying reaction with the etherifying agents. such for instance as diethyl or dimethyl sulphate,

The use of I fibe'nzyl. chloride and so forth, by addingv these agents and the necessary further alkali in stages or otherwise, proceeding as explained in my said previous specifications, the etherifying reaction being also preferably conducted in presence of diluents or liquids not subject to undergo etherifi'cation, which diluents or liquids may be already contained in the alkalised cellulose coming from the foregoing treatment or be wholly or artly added, the quantity of diluent use in the etherification being preferably restricted, for instance about equal in amount to the etherifying agent employed, though I do not confine myself in this respect.

Instead of grinding the cellulose or cellulose conversion product with the alkali without water, it may be used with the addition of some water, but the amount of water present during the etherifying operation is preferably kept within the limits mentioned in my said previous specifications, that is-to say it should not exceed four times the weight of the cellulose or conversion product and preferably should not exceed from one halt to one and a half times this weight (disrelose ethers by treatment of a cellulosic body not soluble in alkali, with etherifying agent in presence of alkali, grinding the cellulosic body in presence of a non-etherifiable organic liquid with alkali to be used as base, andsubjecting the ground material to etherification. I

2. In a process for the production of cellulose ethers by treatment of a cellulosic body not soluble in alkali, with ethei'ifying agent in presence of alkali, grinding the cellulosic body in presence of a non-etherifiable organic liquid with alkali to be used as base, cooling being applied during the grinding, and subjecting the ground material to etherification.

3. In a process for the production of cellulose ethers by treatment of a cellulosic body 4 not soluble in alkali, with etherifying agent in presence of alkali, grinding the cellulosic body in presence of a non-etherifiable organic liquid and of water, with alkali to be used as base, and subjecting the ground material to etherification.

4. In a proces'sfor the production of cellulose ethers by treatment of a cellulosic body not soluble in alkali, with etherifying agent in presence of alkali, grinding the cellulosic body in presence of a non-etherifiable organic liquid and of water, and while cooling, with alkali to be used as base, and subjecting the ground material to etherification.

5. In a process of the production of cellulose ethers by treatment of a cellulosic body not soluble in alkali, with etherifying agent in presence of alkali, grinding the cellulosic body to a fine state in presence of a nonetherifiable organic liquid, grinding the ground cellulosic body in presence of nonetherifiable organic liquid with alkali to be used as base, and subjecting the ground material to etherification.

6. In a process for the production of cellulose ethers by treatment of a cellulosic body not soluble in alkali, with etherifying agent in presence of alkali, grinding the cellulosic body to a fine state in presence of a nonetherifiable organic liquid, while cooling, grinding the ground cellulosic body in presence of non-etherifiable organic liquid, and while cooling, with alkali to be used as base, and subjecting the ground material to etherification.

7. In a process for the productioi. o. cellulose et'hers by treatment of a cellulosic body not soluble in alkali, with etherifying agent in presence of alkali, grinding the cellulosic body to a fine state in presence of a nonetherifiable organic liquid, grinding the ground cellulosic body in presence of nonetherifiable organicliquid and of water, with alkali to be used as base, and subjecting the ground material to etherification.

8. In a process for the production of cellulose ethers by treatment of a cellulosic body not soluble in alkali, with etherifying agent in presence of alkali, grinding the cellulosic body to a fine state in presence of a non- 1 etherifiable organic liquid and of water, grindingthe ground cellulosic body in presence .ofnon-etherifiable organic liquid and of water, with alkali to be used as base, and subjecting the ground material to etherification. v

9. In a process for the production of cellulose ethers by treatment of a cellulosic body not soluble in alkali, with etherifying agent in presence of alkali, grinding the cellulosic body to a fine state in presence of a non-etherifiable organic liquid and of water, and while cooling, grindin the ground cellulosic body in presence 0 nonetherifiable organic liquid and of water, and while. cooling, with alkali to be used as base, and subjecting the ground material to etherification.

10. In a process for the production of cellulose ethers by treatment of a cellulosic body not soluble in alkali, with etherifying agent in presence of alkali, grinding the cellulosic body in presence of a non-etherifiable organic liquid with a portion of the alkali to be used as base, and subjecting the ground material to etherification with addition of further alkali.

11. In a process for the production of cellulose ethers by treatment of a cellulosic body not soluble in alkali, with etherifying aso'iaao? 11 body not. soluble in alkali, with etherifying agent in presence of alkali, grinding the cellulosic body in presence of a non-etherifiable organic liquid and of water, with a portion of the alkali to be used as base, and

subjecting the ground material to etherification with addition of further alkali.

13. In a process for the production of cellulose ethers by treatment of a cellulosic body not soluble in alkali, with etherifying agent in presence of alkali, grinding the cellulosic body in presence of a non-etherifiable organic liquid and of water, and while cooling, with a portion of the alkali to. be used as base, and subjecting the ground material to etherification with addition of further alkali.

14. In a process for the production of cellulose ethers by treatment of a cellulosic body not soluble in alkali, with etherifying agent in presence of alkali, grinding the cellulosic body in presence of a non-etherifiable organic liquid, grinding the ground cellulosic body in presence of non-etherifiable organic liquid with a portion of the alkali to be used as base, and subjecting the ground material to etherification with addition of further alkali.

15. In a process for the production of cellulose ethers by treatment of a cellulosic body not soluble in alkali,,with etherifying agent in presence of alkali, grinding the cellulosic body in presence of a non-etherifiable organic liquid, while cooling grinding the ground cellulosic body, while cooling,

in presence of non-etherifiable organic liquid with a portion of the alkali .to be used as base, and subjecting the ground material to etherification with addition of further alkali.

16. In a process for the production of cellulose ethers by treatment of a cellulosic body not soluble in alkali, with etherifying agent in presence of alkali, grinding-the cellulosic body in presence of a non-etherifiable organic liquid and of water, grinding the ground cellulosic body in presence of non-etherifiable organic liquid with a portion of the alkali to be used as base, and

subjecting the ground material to etherification with addition of further alkali.

17. In -a process for the production of cellulose ethers by treatmentof a cellulosic body not soluble in alkali, with etherifying agent in presence of alkali, grinding the cellulosic body in presence of a non-etherifiable organic liquid and of water, grinding the ground cellulosic body in presence of non-etherifiable organic liquid and of Water,

with a portion of the alkali to be used asbase, and subjecting the ground material to etherification with addition of further alkali.

18. In a process for the production of cellulose ethers by treatment of a cellulosic body not soluble in alkali, with etherifying agent in presence of alkali, grinding the cellulosic body in presence of benzol with alkali to be used as base, and subjecting the ground material to etherification.

19. In a process for the production of cellulose ethers by treatment of a cellulosic body not soluble in alkali, with etherifying agent in presence of alkali, grinding the cellulosic body in presence of benzol and of water, with alkali'to be used as base, and subjecting the ground material to etherification.

20. In a process for the production of cellulose ethers by treatment of a cellulosic body not soluble in alkali, with etherifying agent in presence of alkali, grinding the cellulosic 'body in presence of benzol and while cooling, with alkali to be used as base, and subjecting the ground material to etherification.

21. In a process for the production of cellulose ethers by treatment of a cellulosic body not soluble in alkali, with etherifying agent in presence of alkali, grinding the cellulosic body,-in presence of benzol, grinding the ground cellulosic body in presence of benzol with alkali to be used as base, and subjecting the ground material to-etherification. I

22. In a process for the production of cellulose ethers by treatment of a cellulosic body not soluble in alkali, with etherifying agent in presence of alkali, grinding the cellulosic body in presenceof benzol and of water, grinding the ground cellulosic body in presence of benzol and of water, with alkali to be used as base, and subjecting the ground material to etherification.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

HENRY DREYFUS. 

